#232 Why investing in commodities such as oil and gold is challenging. What you need to know before you invest. Thanks to New Retirement Planner for sponsoring the episode. For show notes and more information on this episode click here. [0:18] Where do commodities help us in the economic cycle?[2:00] How to interpret the apparent statistical decline in commodities.[5:40] Are master limited partnerships (MLPs) helpful to your portfolio?[8:19] How the energy transition will affect the future of commodity investment.[11:43] Contango and how it affects the performance of your futures contract.[16:20] Looking back at the history of commodities may help in determining their future.[24:29] The benefits of investing in gold as a commodity.[28:11] Traders and psychology are really what determine commodity prices.[30:08] Cash flow should still be the foundation of your portfolio. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#230 With RealtyShares and other crowdfunding platforms shutting down, should you invest on these platforms and if so how do you go about evaluating the investment opportunities. Thanks to Policy Genius for sponsoring the episode.  For show notes and more information on this episode click here. [0:30] Check out this episode for David’s experience with real estate crowdfunding investments[2:35] Real estate crowdfunding platforms are comprised of this type of structure[6:57] You want to understand these considerations before making an investment[12:40] Issues began to crop up with David’s investment – learn from his story[18:41] David’s experience with these platforms have not led to a lot of transparency[25:07] There’s not a specific way to determine which real estate crowdfunding platforms are going to survive[30:08] Public and private REITs are another great investment option to considerSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.